Heretics of Science: Rupert Sheldrake

Heretics of Science was a BBC series of 6 episodes from 1994 showcasing controversial theories by mavericks in mainstream science. Rupert Sheldrake is an English biochemist and plant physiologist. He is known for having proposed an unorthodox account of morphogenesis and for his research into parapsychology. His books and papers stem from his theory of morphic resonance, and cover topics such as animal and plant development and behavior, memory, telepathy, perception and cognition in general.

His publications include A New Science of Life (1981), Seven Experiments That Could Change the World (1995), Dogs That Know When Their Owners Are Coming Home (1999), and The Sense of Being Stared At (2003). Sheldrake’s ideas have resonated with the general public and some physicists such as David Bohm. The idea that fields may influence cells has even received cautious support from biologists Janis Roze and Sue Ann Miller. However, Sheldrake’s work has met with a hostile reception from other scientists.